Please note that this post is out of date. To see our latest guidance on the Companies Act, please see this post.

The Companies Bill has been signed into law by the President and is now officially the Companies Act 2008 (or No. 71 of 2008). You can download a pdf copy by clicking here.  If you have not previously read it – now is the time to do so.  This is the new Companies Act and will replace the Companies Act, 1973.  Please ignore the page numbering in the downloaded Act – the odd page numbers are missing, but all the pages of the English version of the Act are in the document.

It is important to note that the Act will only come into operation on a date to be fixed by the President by proclamation in the Gazette, which may not be earlier than 8 April 2010.  So there is no need to panic – there is still time to consider what the implications of the Act are for you.

We will be writing more about the Companies Act on a regular basis, especially the eCommerce issues presented in the new Act.  To receive future updates, register for free or subscribe.